Posted in travel on Thursday, 8 May, 2008| Leave a Comment »
There were major disruptions on train journey back up today, but it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I made a point of taking it as time to enjoy my ipod, and I did. A good example of how things like this help to make the world go round happier 😉
Posted in food, friendship, reading, travel, work on Tuesday, 6 May, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Took the train down to Dublin this avo. Its actually very relaxing even if it takes forever: reading, listening to my ipod… grrrrrreat.
Dinner with “collegues” – who are so much more than just that – outside a restaurant in a surprisingly quiet waterside area of Dublin as the sun set. Food was great too.
Posted in church, conversation, France/French, music, people, travel, work on Friday, 18 April, 2008| Leave a Comment »
The French IFES’ movement (and my excuse to come to France) started this afternoon and I was launched into French conversation and singing French praise which was cool.
However, the best conversation of the day started in French and ended up in English…
I did a Bible College placement in Tours in 2005 and met Raphael and his wife at the church I was working with. Back then, he was doing a little volunteer work with the GBU (French IFES/CUs) and I got to hang out a little with him at a CU meeting he was at. So, because of his links, he was at the conference. The moment of recognition and welcome was really cool – he’s so fun and generally one of the nicest people I’ve encountered. But, anyway… we had a great conversation about life, discipleship, evangelism, France, God, faith… And he invited me to come lead worship at a conference in France in November! It was just SUCH an encouraging and inspiring conversation. Awesome.
Posted in friendship, gospel, grace, Jesus, travel on Sunday, 30 March, 2008| 1 Comment »
A church that serves Toffipops has gotta be a great place…
I enjoyed the time and space a drive home from Dublin (and a pit stop in Belfast) afforded to think, soul-search and listen to a talk on Galatians: ‘Preach the gospel and stop nagging people to try harder…’
Actually, this past few days has also brought a sense of reconciliation with a friend from a few years back where there had been a weird feeling of ‘we’ve-had-a-fight-but-actually-we-never-did’ before. Glad that, at least in this one situation, I feel a little more grown up.
And now?
SLEEP! 😀
Posted in church, conversation, friendship, gospel, grace, people, The Unexpected, travel, work on Wednesday, 27 February, 2008| Leave a Comment »
A satisfyingly productive morning when a talk came together despite me thinking I had NOTHING to say!
SLOBS looked to be a difficult one, but again I was overwhelmed by the real sense that the Small Group Leaders are growing so much. I loved their engagement with Scripture, with each other and with me – what a blessing. I am reminded that its often in the struggle that we grow stronger.
A wee jaunt over to Derry to do an address at a ‘Lent’ service in a church – a chance to see some of the students there again and chat a little. One man’s comment about being glad to hear that ‘students aren’t all bad’ made the CU movement all the more fresh and exciting to me too.
I called a friend I haven’t spoken to in almost a year. It was easy – I just picked up the phone and did it! As the phone rang I was thinking that I feel like a different person since we last spoke. That made me nervous, but I discovered she’s been on a similar journey and that our friendship is still strong, still fresh and still organic! Praise God for friends like that. Praise God for growth in difficult times.
Posted in travel, work on Tuesday, 12 February, 2008| 1 Comment »
I JUST BOOKED FLIGHTS TO FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!
Posted in conversation, friendship, reading, sleep, travel on Saturday, 9 February, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Breakfast in bed!
I then drove in the sunshine listening to great music. I love that. I also had a real sense of appreciation for the freedom I have to travel… very easily taken for granted or moaned about.
I’ve decided that I must make more time for reading, so I spent a couple of hours this afternoon with a book in my hand. Think I fell asleep about 20 mins into that though…! But, yeah – I enjoy reading.
Dinner (though, in itself nothing special) with two old school friends was great. Not awkward and in reminiscing, I learnt that my bluntness isn’t a recently developed characteristic after all…! I had thought that my friendship with one of these girls was long gone, but thanks to the other, its been rekindled! I’m grateful for grown-up friendships that span time.
